Window-curtain-operating device for automobiles



Jan.1,1929.

F.A.REARDON WINDOW CURTAIN OPERATING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 19, 1926 Patented Jan. l,

' UNITED NSTA T as j FRED A. REARDON, F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

WINVDOW-*CURTAIN-OPERATING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed A .ugust My ,invention relates' to an improvement in Window curtain operating device for automobiles and particularly for closed cars. It often happens While driving at night that it is desirable to draw the curtain at the rear Window to prevent the glare of headlights from cars in the rear, but if the driver is alone or there is no one on ,the rear seat, he cannot readily draw the curtain. The object of this invention is to provide means connected with the intake' manifold for operating the curtain at the back window, and the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of partsas will be hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claim.

Fig. 1 is a broken front section of a Window curtain withL means for operating the n same in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 Iis a broken side view ofthe same;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the control valve indicating connections to the curtain operating cylinder and intake manifold;

Fig. 4 is'a sectional view of the line 1- 4 of Fig. 1V.

In the preferred form of my invention I employ a housing 10 formed from sheet metal and comprising aback-plate` 11, and a'hood 12. The back-plate'll is formed with a flange 13 to enter between the body and the top of the window frame. This plate may also be further secured by screws 14.

` At the ends curtain brackets 15 and 16 are struck out from the back-plate and turned forward to support a lcurtain 17, which is of usual construction, the lower edge ofl curtain being guided on cords. 18 at opposite sides in the usual manner. Mounted in the casing above the curtain is a long cylinder 19 and in this cylinder' is a piston 20, connected with a cord 21 which extends over an idler-pulley 22 and is wound on a spring y curtain roller, with the convolutions of the curtain, one end of the cord being fixed to the roller,- so that when tension is applied to the cord, the curtain will be lowered, and

when tension is released, the spring-roller will raise the curtain. The cylinder 19'is connected by a pipe 23 with a control valve 24 mounted on the instrumentboard, this valve being connected with th'e intake manifold by a pipe 25.-y An operating lever 26 is connected with the valve gate so as to open connection with the intake manifold and with the cylinder 19, so thatsuction at 19, 192e. sriai'no. 13o,155

the manifold will draw the piston 2O forward and unroll the curtain. When the curtain is in its down position the valve can be turned so that the suction will be maintained. The valve is also provided with a vent to release the pressure so as to permit `the curtain roller to operate to raise the curtain. The cylinder 19 will be supported by guides 27, and the back-plate provided with slots 28 for the adjustment of these guides.. This construction provides a unitary structure which may be readily fixed above the rear window of anau'tomobile,l

Whereb a curtain at that Window may be s lowere or raised by a means controlled'by one on the front'seat.

The curtain can be drawn manually in the usual way but in case there is no one on the back seat the driver opens the valve to.

make connection between the intake 'manifold and the cylinder so that the piston .will be drawn forward and unwind the curtain and this can be retained in Iits downward positionv as long as desired.

Whenit is desired to raise the curtain, the

operator turns the valve to close the connection with the manifold and open to the atmosphere so that under the action of the spring inthe curtain roller the curtain will be raised.

I claim In an operating device for a spring roller curtain for the rear window of an automobile,'the combination of a housing, a spring roller curtain mounted in said housing,A a horizontally-arranged cylinder `mounted in said housing parallel with the curtain-roller, one end of said cylinder beingl open and the other end closed, a piston in said cylinder adapted to be forcibly moved in one direction, a cord connected with said piston, an

"idler secured to the housing opposite thev Afree end of the cylinder and above the spring roller curtain, said cord passing over said idler and adapted to be wound upon the roller with the curtain, one end of thecord being lfixed to the roller, whereby, when force is applied to the piston, the .curtain will be unvvound, and when this -force is removed, the curtain will be rewound'by thespring-rollein l A.

.In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

' ,7 FRED A. REARDON. 

